HOUSTON – A suspected prison-gang member from Baytown is now facing charges in a cold-case murder from 2006.
Capital murder charges were filed against 36-year-old Ray Contreras on December 1, 2011.
Investigators say he and other gang members killed Robert Saravia on February 5, 2006, at Contreras’ home.
According to court documents, Saravia’s body was found off State Highway 59 and Little York, dumped in a ditch with a pair of jeans tied around his neck.
Autopsy results confirmed that Saravia had been strangled, shot in the abdomen and had suffered blunt-force trauma to the head.
Crime scene officers could not determine where the crime occurred, though, and the case went cold.
But then, in March of 2008, investigators said they got an anonymous tip.
The tipster told police that the murder had occurred at Contreras’ home after Saravia had disrespected the wife of another gang member.
The tipster said Contreras and others beat Saravia down in the back yard and took the body away.
After the murder, the tipster said Contreras put tile down on his back patio to cover up all of the blood.
The tipster said Contreras and the other suspects were members of the Raza Unida prison gang.
Investigators said they were able to confirm that story with another witness, and later, DNA evidence from the scene was linked to Contreras.
